Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-08-04
POLITICAL RUFFIANISM..
The Incidents That Led to tho Now HIs~
torfcaI st. Louis MIDDLE.


torical st. Louis Middle.
The reason why the President of the
United States is not going to visit st.
Louis, as he originally intended to do.
is because certain organizations in
few Western States which assume to
speak for the veterans of the army Sig
nified an unwillingness to receive him
and purpose to insult and perhaps to
attack him if he appeared there. This
is the first time in the history of the
Republic when, in time of peace, the
President has been debarred from visit
ing any section of the Republic by rea-
son of the hostility of the people. 1t is
significant and a melancholy fact
that the disloyal expressions which
have brought about this humiliating
conclusion have emanated from men
arrogating much patriotism to them
selves and assuming to speak for sol
diers of the Ution.
For purposes of historic accuracy it
may be worth while to recall the Incl
dents leading up to this fact. The
Grand Army of the Republic is to hold
a reunion this fall in st. Louis. AS
the occasion promises to be a notable
one. many citizens conceived the idea
of inviting the President to be there at
the same time, and graceful tender
Of the city's Inequalities being made,
the proposition was duly accepted.
Immediately few political ruffians in
Des Moines, who have been prOstitut-
ing G. A. r. charter to the dirtiest
tricks which a malevolent and fanat-.
ical mind could conceive of, formu-
lated a protest and announced that
if the President were to be at the Sc
union they and other Iowa veterans
would refuse to march past him and
would insult him on sight. Some other
professional veterans in Kansas fol-
lowed suit and set all the camp follow.
ers and bounty jumpers in the country
to threatening what they would and
would not do if, at a reunion popular
ly supposed to be of the most loyal and
valorous men in the country, the Presi-
dent of that country, to whom all owe
allegiance, should be present.
No one who is acquainted with the
real veterans of the Union armies
doubts for a minute what sort of a
reception the President would receive
at their hands in st Louis or else
where, but under the circumstances it
is probably a wise move on Mr.. Cleve:: .
lands part to remain away from a
gathering which, plainly enough, is
to be dominated more or less by a lot
of vicious blatherskites who recognize
no allegiance higher than party. The
vulgar blackguards in Iowa and ham
sas will no doubt be gratified at the
success os their Ku-klux tactics. bub
the Presidents refusal to attend the re-
union will cause the vast majority OF
the old soldiers regret and shame. II
the incident shall lead, as it should, to
the purging of the G. A r Of the.
reckless villains who assume in Soma
States to speak for it it will not b
without value. The President has
done his duty. 1t now remains FOR the
candid and honorable men in the
Grand Army to do theirs. The public
at Ian re will not be long in disassociat-
ing in their minds the grand army
which put down the rebellion from
that Grand Army whose mOuthpieces
in the West are the venomoHs repro
bates and latter day COpperhcads OF
Des Moines and Topeka - Chicago
Herald.